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05 Mar 2021

Niger's presidential election

Country:

Niger

Topics:

Children & Youth

Democracy & Peace

SWAC:

SWAC

Body:

Niger is heading towards its first transfer of power between two democratically elected presidents since gaining independence in 1960. Outgoing President Mahamadou Issoufou, in power since 2011, has honoured his promise not to seek a third term. However, this change in power does not represent a major change as the outgoing president had designated Mohamed Bazoum as his successor. Read on

24 Feb 2021

Women and conflict

Topics:

SWAC:

Body:

Over the last decade, conflicts have become more violent and widespread in West Africa with increasing numbers of civilian casualties, particularly in Nigeria and the Central Sahel. Nearly 40% of observed violent deaths are the result of violence against unarmed populations. Read on

14 Feb 2020

The Geography of Conflict in North and West Africa

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Topics:

SWAC:

Body:

This SWAC/OECD study maps the evolution of violence across North and West Africa, with a particular focus on Mali, Lake Chad and Libya. The work is based on a new spatial indicator of political violence designed to assess the long-term evolution of conflicts and provide policy options. It calls upon the region’s states and the international community to promote regional initiatives to restore state legitimacy, increase investment in border regions and better protect civilians. Read on

14 Feb 2020

SWAC/OECD at the Munich Security Conference

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Topics:

SWAC:

Body:

At the invitation of the Munich Security Conference, the Sahel and West Africa Club Secretariat (SWAC/OECD) launched its report, “The Geography of Conflict in North and West Africa,” during a side event on 14 February 2020. It is the first time that the SWAC Secretariat has taken part in the world’s leading forum for debating international security issues, an important step towards raising its profile and the visibility of its analytical work. Read on

09 Feb 2020

Estimated value of food sector by country

Country:

Topics:

Agriculture & Fisheries

Democracy & Peace

Employment

Food security & Nutrition

Urban-rural development

Members:

ECOWAS

SWAC:

SWAC

Body:

The food sector, which comprises agriculture, food processing, food marketing and food-away-from-home, is a key pillar of all ECOWAS economies. In 2020, the sector’s value is estimated at USD 259 billion or 35% of regional GDP. The economic giant Nigeria alone accounts for 72% of the sector’s value. By 2030, the ECOWAS food economy is expected to nearly double to reach USD 473 billion or 33% of regional GDP. This unprecedented expansion occurs in a context of rapid urban development. Read on

31 Jan 2020

Dangerous border areas

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Topics:

SWAC:

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In the past decade, one third of the incidents of political violence that have caused casualties in the region have taken place within 50-km of a land border. Inhabitants of small and medium‑sized towns in the Lake Chad basin have been the main victims of this political violence. Read on

04 Jan 2020

Burkina Faso: no peace in sight

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Topics:

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Women and children were the targets of the most recent terrorist attacks in northern Burkina Faso. Some 35 civilians were killed during a first attack on Christmas Eve in Arbinda, in the Soum province of the Sahel region; nearly all of the victims were women. A second attack, on 4 January 2020, on a school bus convoy in the Sourou province in the Boucle du Mouhoun, killed 14 people, including seven school children. Read on

02 Jan 2020

Fulani-Dogon, brothers who have become enemies

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Topics:

Opinion:

Body:

This report published by the French newspaper La Libération reviews the relationship between the Fulani and Dogon ethnic groups, who lived in traditionally complementary ways. Drawing on local interviews, the article explains the traditional roles each group played, describes the changes that occurred following the jihadist occupation and analyses the root causes of tension, which has caused escalating intercommunal violence. Read on

30 Dec 2019

Avoiding the resurgence of inter-communal violence in eastern Chad

Country:

Chad

Topics:

Agriculture & Fisheries

Climate & Climate change

Body:

In response to rising inter-communal violence in eastern Chad, the government increased its military presence and declared a state of emergency in its eastern provinces of Ouaddaï and Sila, as well as in Tibesti in the north in August 2019. Tensions might increase during the upcoming local elections, currently scheduled for February 2020. The latest report by the International Crisis Group analyses inter-communal conflicts in eastern Chad, in particular between Arab and non-Arab communities, moving beyond herder-farmer relationships. Read on

29 Dec 2019

Guinea-Bissau: Embaló wins presidential election

Country:

Guinea-Bissau

Topics:

Democracy & Peace

Body:

Guinea-Bissau, the second-smallest West African country, home to nearly 2 million people, will start 2020 with a new president. Úmaro Sissoco Embaló, one of the seven prime ministers who served under outgoing President José Mário Vaz (2016-18), won the run-off election on 29 December 2019 with 54% of the vote. His rival, Domingos Simões Pereira, head of the ruling PAIGC party, denounced the results and suggested there had been electoral fraud. He plans to contest the results and take it up with the Supreme Court. Citizens hope that the election will end several decades of political instability in the country. Embaló’s election marks the first transition of power since independence and is a big milestone in the country’s journey towards democracy. Read on

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Democracy & Peace

Niger's presidential election

Women and conflict

The Geography of Conflict in North and West Africa

SWAC/OECD at the Munich Security Conference

Estimated value of food sector by country

Dangerous border areas

Burkina Faso: no peace in sight

Fulani-Dogon, brothers who have become enemies

Avoiding the resurgence of inter-communal violence in eastern Chad

Guinea-Bissau: Embaló wins presidential election

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